But Anthony Rizzo, the 24-year-old first baseman who's positioned himself as the team's franchise player of the future, is finding new ways to offer reason for hope — a rare commodity by tradition in Wrigleyville.

Rizzo promised a Cubs fan named Mike Kasallis, who was recently diagnosed with leukimia, that he'd hit a home run for him during Tuesday's game against the Padres.

He managed to do Kasallis one better, hitting two homers to take over the National League with 25.

Rizzo, a cancer survivor himself, has been a source of inspiration for many in Chicago through his Anthony Rizzo Foundation, but Tuesday's performance offered a taste of myth-making that money can't buy.

The feat evoked memories of Paul O'Neill's appearance in a 1995 episode of Seinfeld, where Kramer promises a sick boy that O'Neill will hit a pair of home runs for him.

After clearing the fences early on, O'Neill winds up disappointing the child by hitting an inside-the-park home run for his second — a play later ruled a triple and an error.